Dr Zac Hanley
Zac Hanley is Chief Scientist for the forage programme at ViaLactia Biosciences. The group works on the production of improved forages for the dairy industry using molecular breeding and other cisgenic® approaches.
Zac has a BSc with honours in Biotechnology from the University of Sheffield in the UK. His PhD research, also at Sheffield, was the molecular investigation of the CYP71 enzymes involved in the production of therapeutic alkaloids and their intermediates in tropical plants. His postdoctoral research work has included the improved manufacture of biodegradable plastics in plants as economic replacements for oil-derived plastics and, later, the control of lipid metabolism in oilseed crops. Zac joined ViaLactia in 2001.
Zac's other interests are mostly of the indoors-with-no-heavy-lifting kind, although his young children see to it that he gets plenty fresh air.